UGA signee Baker: Hopefully I'll go in there and get me a spot

After growing up in Georgia, Kendall Baker will stay in the Peach State a few more years.

Baker, a lineman from Marist, didn’t necessarily grow up a Bulldog fan, though. In fact, he said he bounced back and forth between rivals Georgia and Florida. However, after a few years of deliberation he came to the conclusion Athens was the only place for him to attend school. He’s got high hopes for his future at Georgia.

“What can’t I do here at Georgia that I can at some other school or some other part of town,” Baker said. “I can make All-American here, and I want to represent my hometown.”

An Atlanta native, Baker has spent plenty of time watching Georgia play. While Athens isn’t necessarily his hometown, he plans to make it just that throughout the process of spending his college career there.

“Athens is a very nice town,” Baker said. “It has some history behind it, and I just want to figure out the rest of the history behind it.”

Anyone who followed Georgia football in 2013 knows there’s opportunity for a freshman to earn immediate playing time; especially on defense. Everyone will start on equal playing ground with Georgia’s recent addition of Jeremy Pruitt at defensive coordinator.

While the opportunity for playing time is clearly there, Baker won’t take it for granted.

“I’ve got to keep a positive attitude,” Baker said. “If I go in with the right attitude and the right mindset, I have a chance to do some very good things as a freshman. I’ve got to go in there and work hard, because it’s going to be a lot of hard work.”

Baker is all about winning the psychological battles.

“I’ve just got to keep my mind right and I’ll be fine,” Baker said. “Hopefully I’ll go in there and get me a spot.”

Regardless of whether it’s a starting position or not, Baker was attracted by the fact he will most definitely have a spot at Georgia, no matter what the role entails. He just wanted to go to a place where he could feel at home, even if it’s an hour away from his.

“They (coaches) all basically said the same thing,” Baker said. “Your family is here. The football team treats you as a family, so you’ll have brothers here around you all the time.”

Some of those teammates will be former rivals of Baker’s. The 26th-ranked defensive end in the nation spent the past few years facing off against Tucker’s Detric Dukes and Dominick Sanders, but will eventually have to set differences aside as they each enroll at Georgia.

It won’t be hard for Baker.

“Once we’re in the same uniform it’s all good,” Baker said. “When you’re in the opposite uniform, they’re like enemies for the time being, but me and Detric were cool, so it’s all good.”

Baker and Dukes have already teamed up in offseason showcases such as the Rising Senior Bowl, and Baker says he’s excited for the chance to play alongside his former opponent.

Baker’s family too was excited when he made the call to commit to Georgia. If his family had to make the decision, Baker says they would have made the same one he did.

“They were pretty excited,” Baker said. “They were hands off about it. They were trying to put little things in my ear about it, but didn’t force me to go. They did like the decision for me to go to Georgia.”

In the back of his mind, Baker couldn’t fathom the thought of playing in another state.

“I was thinking I needed to stay home and represent the home state,” Baker said. “I’ve been here all my life, so why not represent the state of Georgia for another four years of my life?”

For the time being, however, Baker is focused solely on earning his playing time at Georgia. He’s all business.

“There’s a lot of new opportunity in there, so why make excuses and not do it, you know?” Baker said.

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